It's 1940, what's your CCW?

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I believe they had 1910 Browning (FN) semis in 380 auto. That would be a good choice for a small pistol.

Otherwise a S&W M&P 38 special snub.

If I wanted something heavier, I'd go for a 1911 in 45 acp.

The 1911 was a great choice in 1940 and it's still a great choice in 2018.
 
NIGHTLORD40K said:
Makes you wonder how easy it would have been to get ahold of a PPK in the US back then....
The big cities probably would have had a Walther agent, but I doubt you could get one in the Sears, Roebuck catalog! Even if you could lay hands on one, I bet they were going at boutique prices back then....:)
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My Stoeger Catalogs from 1934 and 1939 had them listed and would ship on to you REA (Railroad Express). If I remember correctly they'd have cost about $36 (course I could have added $7.50 and got the light weight frame). Course a new Colt pocket in 32 or 380 only cost $24 new from the same catalog
 
Sarge7402 said:
My Stoeger Catalogs from 1934 and 1939 had them listed and would ship on to you REA (Railroad Express). If I remember correctly they'd have cost about $36 (course I could have added $7.50 and got the light weight frame). Course a new Colt pocket in 32 or 380 only cost $24 new from the same catalog
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Wow....that's $644.87 in 2018 dollars.
 
I would definitely carry a 1911 in whatever the lightest flavor available was.

If I had to go small it would be a j frame revolver with a bobbed hammer, again, the lightest available.
 
Y'all who chose the M1911A1 probable stood little chance of getting one. At that time, all M1911A1s went to military use. Y'all would have had to settle for the commercial Government Model.

Bob Wright
 
Al-jim19 said:
I would definitely carry a 1911 in whatever the lightest flavor available was.

If I had to go small it would be a j frame revolver with a bobbed hammer, again, the lightest available.
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It came in exactly one size, and from one company, Colt. The J frame did not exist until the 50's.
 
Hi-Power/P35. Classy, but not pretentious.

But that’s pretty exotic for a midwestern boy in 1940. I’d probably end up with a small 38 revolver of some sort.
 
Fun thread. My first inkling was the Colt 1903 Pocket Hammerless, But I think a revolver is more likely: Detective Special or Smith & Wesson Hand-Ejector in a shoulder holster.
 
I always liked the lines of the Savage 1907, but would probably go with a Colt or S&W .38 snubnose. Never liked the minimal nature of the safeties on those old SA autos.
 
RedlegRick said:
I always liked the lines of the Savage 1907, but would probably go with a Colt or S&W .38 snubnose. Never liked the minimal nature of the safeties on those old SA autos.
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Minimal is right! The manual safeties on the 1907 Savage and 51 Remington are a bad joke, though at least the Remington also has one of the least-offensive grip safeties ever. The 1903/08 Colt manual safety is better- but the shape and depth of the grip safety is such that I would sometimes have to readjust my grip to actuate it.....not good in a SD gun.
There's something to be said for a good revolver at your side, for sure!
 
I'd like to say it'd be a Gov't Model 1911 ... but most likely, I'd be packing the Colt's Dick Special or a snubby S&W pre-Model 10 ... (I grew up watching every Humphrey Bogart movie ever made with my dad).
 
Hasaf said:
Ideally I would have a Remington R 51. If I were unable to find one, I would next go for either a Beretta M1934, or a Colt 1903 Pocket Hammerless.

The R51 because it is the only locking breech .380 that was commonly available at that time. I would still stick with the .380acp cartridge.The other two are my second choice. They are both similar in weight and size.
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Ummm...it was just Model 51, the "R" is that new thing they are trying to give away now......lol.;)

Hard to define it's action, officially it's a hesitation-lock, but I get your gist. The 1907 Savage is locked-breech, but only when the bullet is in the barrel!

I'm thinking it would have been much harder to lay hands on a '34 Beretta in 1940- the Italian army was already sucking up all that Beretta could make and doubt there were any going to the commercial market. On the other hand, there may very well have been some Beretta Model 1915/19/23 floating about- albeit chambered for .32 or 9mm Glisenti.
 
Hasaf,

Here you go. I used to carry it in a shoulder holster while working a convenience store and in a modified eyeglass pouch as an IWB while out and about. Half cock usually and thumbed it the rest of the way on drawing. Now here come the ex-spurts to tell me how stupid I was!

Beretta1934LSfire.jpg

Oh those are not 1 inch squares but a Japanese GO game board. The gun regularly out shot buddies' Constable, PPks, FI Pony and my Star model S.

Heavy for its size as no fooling steel and lots of it. No issues with any ammo other than the old blue box S&W .380 auto, man that was awful stuff. That Beretta feed ramp and extractor trick let it feed anything else and it seemed to LIKE Super Vel stuff back in the day.

Not sure about commercial availability in the US in 1940 though....it was the Italian Army service pistol at the time. Benito may have wanted to hold on to all of them.

I think my daughter may have her eye on this one......cold dead fingers sweetie!

-kBob
 
I am going to change my original answer (a Colt 1908). Not because it wouldn't have been a good choice, but in 1940 I think that there were more realistic choices.

The 1908 would have been limited to FMJ. Penetration, yes, but no expansion. Also, it probably would have been more expensive than my income would have allowed, assuming that I was in the same social strata that I am today. Probably not widely available.

So, it would have been a small pocket revolver, and probably an inexpensive one, in either .22 LR, .32 S&W, or 38 S&W. In any of these I would carry lead ammo. 1940 is before the wide spread availability of antibiotics, so putting any of these bullets into a body may not have led to instant incapacitation, but would have probably brought on septicemia. This fact would give any potential attacker pause.
 
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